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THE NORMAL RESPONSE OF THE ISOLATED UTERUS TO CALCIUM IONS AND THE RESPONSE AFTER EXPERIMENTAL INTERFERENCE
Author(s) -
Kennedy Walter P.
Publication year - 1927
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0370-2901
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1927.sp000393
Subject(s) - calcium , uterus , endocrinology , medicine , rhythm , sterility , biology , contraction (grammar) , botany
1. The effect on the isolated rat‐uterus of diminishing the calcium content of the perfusing Dale solution to half the normal amount is to produce an increase in the rate of total contractions and a gradual diminution of tone. The removal of all the calcium increases both these results still further. The effect on maximal contractions is irregular. 2. The result of doubling the calcium content is to inhibit the rhythmic movements and to produce a more rapid diminution of tone. 3. When rats are fed on a diet poor in calcium, which results in sterility, the rate of rhythmic contraction of the uterus with normal Dale, and with Dale with half calcium, and with no calcium, is lessened. The tone is unaltered. 4. When the dietary treatment has been a high‐protein regime which causes sterility, the activity of the isolated uterus is not affected. 5. Ovariotomy of adult rats causes after a time (150 days or more) an almost complete disappearance of the rhythmic function of the isolated uterus, but the tone is not diminished. 6. The response to variations of the calcium content of the perfusing fluid in ovariotomised animals is qualitatively similar to that of controls, but much less in extent. The expenses of this research have been defrayed by grants from the Medical Research Council and from the Earl of Moray Fund.